The riding is huge, and it's up for grabs. Here's what's at stake in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity
Issues in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity as widespread as riding’s geography
In most corners, it's loosely populated, wedged between the bulk of the Avalon Peninsula and the massive wilderness of central Newfoundland.
The federal riding of Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, now known as Terra Nova-The Peninsulas, is as diverse as it is disconnected.
The boundaries of the riding changed, along with the name, after the 2022 federal electoral redistribution when it added the eastern side of Placentia Bay, and lost the Salmon Cove area.
And now, it will have a new member of parliament.
Liberal MP Churence Rogers, who was first elected there in 2017, and re-elected twice after that, said he won't run again, amid turmoil and low polling numbers for the federal party.
It's a little less than 400 kilometres from Bonavista in the northeast, to Point May on the southern tip of the Burin Peninsula. It's about the same distance from Carmanville in the northwest of the riding, to Hant's Harbour on the eastern tip.
About 71,000 people live in more than 16,000 square kilometres, according to the 2021 census.
Given the distance, the threads tying this riding together may not be evident. But oddly enough in an isolated part of the country, international relations are one of the leading topics.
Up near the top of the riding, New-Wes-Valley Mayor Mike Tiller says people are watching what's happening in the U.S., hearing President Donald Trump talk about his plans for Canada, and wondering what it means here.
"Nobody is quite sure if [Conservative Leader Pierre] Poilievre is what they would want, but they do know that it is time for change," he said.
A few kilometres to the west, Musgrave Harbour Mayor Jason Chaulk says he's hearing similar messages.
"I guess time will tell," he said. "We have been a PC district before and we've been a Liberal district before and we've had some good and we've had some bad. At the end of the day, a lot of people are talking about leaning [Conservative]."
The Bonavista Peninsula has also seen provincial and federal members from both sides of the political stripe. In Port Rexton, John Fisher, a longtime tourism advocate and co-owner of Fishers Loft and Inn, says he's hearing there will be a shift in support.
"If the Conservative wave is going to happen the way it's supposed to happen, I think there may be a lessening of some of the very onerous taxes," he said. "I mean, it's sometimes a disincentive to employ people because of the employment or the taxes that come with employing somebody."
As of Friday, Clarenville's Johnathan Rowe is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for Terra Nova-The Peninsulas. The Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party have yet to name candidates.
Ahead of a looming federal election, CBC News asked residents in the vast riding what issues were important to them, and what they need in a MP.
Linda Foss, Dildo resident
Linda Foss of Dildo wants safer roads.
"Sometimes tourists come here and they want to be here, but then they must get an awful disappointment when they see the state of the roads," Foss told CBC News.
Health care is another priority on her list.
"Why can't they look at people's lives. People's lives are at stake when it comes to some of these [health] tests they got to have done. And if they're not being done in a decent time, people can lose their lives. And it has happened," Foss said.
"There's things that I think the government could be spending money on more so than wasting it on things that's not necessary."
Foss says politicians should be able to make quick decisions, and some make promises they don't follow through on.
"They're all there to get the vote in a lot of cases. And some politicians, I suppose they're doing their best, but there's others really not doing their best. They could do better."
Keith Rodway, co-owner Rodway's Printing and Office Supplies, Clarenville
Keith Rodway says the riding is diverse with diverse businesses from tourism to the fishery, mining and agriculture.
"Whoever becomes a candidate in this district needs to come in with a solution on how they're going to get their federal financial house in order. You've got to keep in mind that it's not an open chequebook. Even though we're talking billions of dollars and spending that, we've got to look at every dollar and question it," he said.
There's a social factor to any federal government, and I get that. I understand that and I think it's very important. But when you look at the number of employees we have, when you look at certain spending and tax breaks that are given to certain groups, you got to question it."
Rodway says ACOA is vitally important to the region and taking it away would have devastating impacts.
"Depending on who gets in power and what party and what they want to do, they've got to really look at how important each sector is," he said.
"Financially, we've got to have a federal government that's got a healthy balance sheet. That is first and foremost. You can't support your people if you don't have a good financial house in order."
"What's happening in the US, obviously, is polarizing to everybody. When you look at the tariff questions and you look at his whole ideology, it raises concerns. So yeah, we see it. I don't think we see it every day because we're so far removed from it. But it is a topic of conversation. As a population, as a business, we are concerned."
Jack Brenton, co-owner of Brenton Group of Companies, Marystown
Jack Brenton says the key for any area to flourish is to have jobs. Jobs, he says, will keep people from moving elsewhere.
"What creates jobs? People, industries, projects. You need long-term sustainable industries. You don't need one thing today and gone tomorrow," Brenton said.
"The Burin Peninsula area has a little bit more industry that probably aren't affected by the other areas in the district. You know, we've got the oil and gas facility … we've got the mining industry. We've got Canada Flourspar, we've got some other prospecting on the go, we've got aquaculture with the Grieg Sea Farms."
Brenton says the riding needs a strong candidate who can be a strong representative for the area, but "has to gain the respect in Ottawa, to have the ear of his superiors and his colleagues so that, you know, he can tell the story and what the issues are that affect rural Newfoundland, especially our district."
"He has to come to the different regions in this district. You know, being its size, that's going to be challenging. But if the candidate is not the right person for that, then the candidate shouldn't be there.
"I would think now with what's happening in Canada with Mr. Trudeau resigning and otherwise, maybe the race will heat up and people will start to take more interest in it," said Brenton, who's been involved with the family business for as long as he can remember.
WATCH | About 71,000 people live in the riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas:
Richard Grikis, Grand Bank resident
Richard Grikis of Grand Bank says his riding needs more money, and pointed to declining health care and population.
"I just hope that people stay and we don't lose anymore," he said.
"If we're going to lose more things, they're not going to stay, like our fish plant, as it is going good. But I talked to a few people, the age of the worker is up there now, and not very many young ones are going into the fishery."
Grikis says he's hopeful the fishery and fish plant exists into the next generation.
"It's all going to be determined enough on what infrastructure you have, and what jobs you have because, like I say, that's how it goes."
Mike Tiller, mayor of New-Wes-Valley
Mike Tiller, mayor of New-Wes-Valley wants politicians to pay attention to the fishery.
"That is the big thing. You know, in my part [of the riding], we don't have a windmill project on the horizon. We don't have the mining on the horizon. We're not fortunate enough for that. But we do have a strong fishery, and that is what's going to keep this coast, this area of the riding going," Tiller said.
There's also what Tiller says is a lack of opportunities for university students in rural areas of the province.
"Students that were used to coming to the university and working for small businesses — working for towns, municipalities — they [don't] get that option because the program [funding summer employment] was gutted," he said.
"Those are the little things that in rural areas, if you have a small business that can get a student on a grant, then that's a salary that they don't pay. If you have students that could do recreation for you, then you don't have to pay somebody to do it. So those are the little things that the federal government does for rural Newfoundland that didn't happen this time," he said.
Tiller says the new MP has to fight for Newfoundlanders, the riding, equalization payments and money for infrastructure.
"Give us our fair share. We don't think we should get more than anybody else, but we want our fair share," he said.
John Fisher, co-owner of Fisher's Loft Inn, Port Rexton
John Fisher says the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) has been important to his riding, calling it a "federal government economic development machine."
Fisher says government needs to help manage tourism, with more in-depth work for smaller areas from the incoming MP.
"Tourism isn't just a single thing. People think it's a restaurant or it's an inn or a hotel or something, but it's everything. It's hiking trails. It's theater. It's archeology. It's art. It's all kinds of things. And most of those other things make a destination because it isn't one thing. It's usually about 20 different things," he said.
"The problem you have — an MP will come to see it, but he's got to get home at night. So there's a lot of informal talking, so off the record. And the stuff that really starts to count, you often can't do that with a fellow that's got to get home."
Fisher says tourism operators need help to create jobs.
"The idea that our insurance premiums and so on are really very onerous, I don't mind paying taxes. It's a privilege to pay taxes in this province and in this country, but I don't think we should have additional taxes just because we're employing people," he said.
Fisher says the future looks good and better management of tourism will come.
"We're not there yet. We're still in an emerging, embryonic destination," he said.
Jason Chaulk, mayor of Musgrave Harbour
Jason Chaulk points to the fishery as being one of the most important industries in rural Newfoundland.
"At least, probably, 75 per cent of the community here depend on the fishery, when it comes to fish plant workers and fishermen. And not only that, when the fishery is doing good, everybody else seems to be doing good because all the spin-offs from the small things like the convenience stores, the gas stations, the parks, all recreation, everything."
Chaulk says governments spend money in a lot of areas, but something he'd like to see is better cellphone service and health care for his area.
"The population changed quite a bit. There's a lot … of seniors now in this area," he said. "There are some young people here that are involved in the health-care system.
But, Chaulk says, the aging population includes a lot of fish harvesters and there aren't many young people to replace them as they retire.
"Your member should be more in your district, should be more out around talking to people, coming to see the municipalities more. They should be given more time to do that kind of thing because, at the end of the day, a lot of times we don't see you guys, they don't have the time to be here because of the big area that they have to do."
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